Customisable Websites - the definitive Guide

New web technologies have made it possible to allow users to customise their pages. Should you do the same?

TYPES OF CUSTOMISATION
Currently websites offer a variety of customisation methods, allowing users to:
- Reposition content on the page: Boxes containing content can be moved anywhere on the page (or even removed).
- Add applications known as 'widgets': These are small applications often built in HTML and JavaScript that can be used to display content feeds (such as RSS) or perform more advanced functions. The most popular widgets on Google's customisable web page, iGoogle, include a simple clock, a local weather summary, a daily horoscope and a Wikipedia search.
- Add settings and preferences: Examples include setting how many news headlines are shown and setting your location to get relevant weather reports.
- Add 'skins' - These can be used to change the overall appearance of the web page, including its colour scheme.

BENEFITS OF CUSTOMISATION
Customisation can attract new users and keep existing users more engaged for three main reasons:
- Personalisation: Site visitors can have ownership of your website by choosing its layout and appearance. Users are often attracted to the idea of having a piece of the web which is their own.
- Choice & prioritisation: Many users will prefer your site if they can choose what content they receive and change the layout so their favourite content features most prominently. They may prefer this to static competitor sites.
- Entertainment: Your website will always seem new and fresh if users can keep adding new content and applications. Facebook's quick rise in popularity is partly because users can add fun third party applications, of which there are now over 12,000.

DISADVANTAGES OF CUSTOMISATION
Consider these disadvantages to customisation before you invest time, effort and money in adding it to your website:
· It might not provide any ROI: Adding customisation to your website may not produce a return that covers the resources required to develop it. Users may not want to use it or if they do use it, it may not actually lead to more demand for your product or service.
· Customisation isn't for everyone: Users may prefer going directly to other websites for a richer browsing experience, over reading RSS headlines on your website.
· Customising takes time: Many users won't want to invest time in customising a web page. However, this isn't an issue if a default configuration is available, that is, users don't need to configure the site in order to use it. Many may give it a try before deciding it's not for them and will then revert to the standard web page.
· Simpler is often better: Customisation controls may scare some novice Internet users. Non-customisable sites are simpler in that they have fewer controls. Some users prefer 'simpler' sites and others might worry about accidentally changing or even 'breaking' a web page.
· Potential of poor usability: Users may inadvertently reduce the usability of your website when you hand design control over to them. If your homepage is currently easy to use it will likely be because you've taken care over its design.
· Users may go overboard: Your site visitors may initially get carried away and add too much content that they won't use and will need to remove later. This will create pages that contain too much information and are far too busy.

TO CUSTOMISE OR NOT?
Whether users would want to be able to customise your website depends on 2 main factors.
· Firstly, do users visit your site frequently? Customising a web page takes time - users are far more likely to invest this time if they spend enough time on your site to make customising it worthwhile. If users set your website as their browser's homepage or start page then this is positive indicator.
· Secondly, there's limited usefulness in only being able to move existing content around your homepage. Users will be much more motivated if they're able to add interesting content or applications and remove what they don't like.

Making your website customisable by users could provide benefits for both you and your site visitors. However, before investing resources in developing such features carefully consider whether customisation is appropriate for both your website and your users.

Associated Link: Webcredible

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